Just the Facts

The Criminal Alien Program (CAP) is an expansive immigration enforcement program that leads to the initiation of removal proceedings in many cases. While CAP has existed in one form or another for decades, there is still much to be learned about the program, how it is organized, and how it works. What is known is that CAP extends to every area of the country and intersects with most state and local law enforcement agencies.

For years, the CAP program has operated with little public attention and many of its elements have only recently come to light following FOIA litigation against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The information obtained through the lawsuit regarding CAP’s current organization and staffing suggests CAP is not a single program, but a loose-knit group of several different programs operating within ICE. Other than a small number of staff responsible for the administration of CAP at ICE headquarters, there is no dedicated CAP staff. Rather, ICE pulls personnel and resources from across the agency to perform CAP-related functions.

The ICE declarations and deposition also explain how CAP functions within prisons and jails. There appears to be little consistency in, and little or no policy governing, how CAP cooperates with state and local law enforcement agencies in different regions and in how CAP interacts with detainees in different facilities. Instead, CAP appears to function as an ad hoc set of activities that operate differently across the country and across penal institutions, raising questions about the adequacy of oversight, training, and accountability of the personnel implementing CAP.

This information confirms that there is still much about CAP that remains unknown or unclear. Given the breadth of CAP, the centrality of its role in immigration enforcement, and its large impact on the immigrant community, it is critical that ICE clarify how CAP operates.Read more...

In Utah, there is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators play an important role. Immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Highly skilled immigrants are vital to the state’s innovation industries and to the metropolitan areas within the state, helping to boost local economies. Furthermore, local government, business, and non-profit leaders recognize the importance of immigrants in their communities and support immigration through local “welcoming” and integration initiatives.

Immigrant entrepreneurs contribute significantly to Utah’s economy.

From 2006 to 2010, there were 9,229 new immigrant business owners in Utah and in 2010, 8.5 percent of all business owners in Utah were foreign-born.

In 2010, new immigrant business owners had a total net business income of $388 million, which is 6.1 percent of all net business income in the state.

Utah is home to many successful companies with at least one founder who was an immigrant or child of an immigrant. For example, the child of German immigrants founded Smith’s Food and Drug Centers, which is headquartered in Salt Lake City.

Highly skilled immigrants are vital to Utah’s innovation industries, which in turn helps lead American innovation and creates jobs.Read more...

In Kentucky, there is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators play an important role. Immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Highly skilled immigrants are vital to the state’s innovation industries and to the metropolitan areas within the state, helping to boost local economies. Furthermore, local government, business, and non-profit leaders recognize the importance of immigrants in their communities and support immigration through local “welcoming” and integration initiatives.

From 2006 to 2010, there were 6,143 new immigrant business owners in Kentucky and in 2010, 3.8 percent of all business owners in Kentucky were foreign-born.

In 2010, new immigrant business owners had a total net business income of $451 million, which is 5.4 percent of all net business income in the state.

Kentucky is home to many successful companies with at least one founder or co-founder who was an immigrant or child of an immigrant, including General Cable, Lexmark International, and Hillerich and Bradsby, the manufacturer of the “Louisville Slugger” baseball bat. Those three companies together employ over 25,000 people and bring in around $11 billion in revenue each year.

Highly skilled immigrants are vital to Kentucky’s innovation industries, which in turn helps lead American innovation and creates jobs.Read more...

In Minnesota, there is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators play an important role. Immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Highly skilled immigrants are vital to the state’s innovation industries and to the metropolitan areas within the state, helping to boost local economies. Furthermore, local government, business, and non-profit leaders recognize the importance of immigrants in their communities and support immigration through local “welcoming” and integration initiatives.

In Connecticut, there is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators play an important role. Immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Highly skilled immigrants are vital to the state’s innovation industries and to the metropolitan areas within the state, helping to boost local economies. Furthermore, local government, business, and non-profit leaders recognize the importance of immigrants in their communities and support immigration through local “welcoming” and integration initiatives.

From 2006 to 2010, there were 31,320 new immigrant business owners in Connecticut and in 2010, 18.5 percent of all business owners in Connecticut were foreign-born.

In 2010, new immigrant business owners had a total net business income of $2 billion, which is 15 percent of all net business income in the state.

Connecticut is home to many successful companies with at least one founder who was an immigrant or child of an immigrant, including United Technologies Corporation, Pitney Bowes, General Electric, and Terex. Those four companies together employ over 550,600 people and bring in over $217 billion in revenue each year.

Highly skilled immigrants are vital to Connecticut’s innovation industries, which in turn helps lead American innovation and creates jobs.Read more...

In Mississippi, there is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators play an important role. Immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Highly skilled immigrants are vital to the state’s innovation industries and to the metropolitan areas within the state, helping to boost local economies. Furthermore, local government, business, and non-profit leaders recognize the importance of immigrants in their communities and support immigration through local “welcoming” and integration initiatives.

Immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to Mississippi’s economy.

From 2006 to 2010, there were 4,534 new immigrant business owners in Mississippi, and in 2010, 4.2 percent of all business owners in Mississippi were foreign-born.

In 2010, new immigrant business owners had total net business income of $181 million, which is 3.2 percent of all net business income in the state.

In 1908, Russian immigrant Sam Stein founded Stein Mart in Greenville, Mississippi. Although the company is now headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, it maintains a presence in 29 states with over 260 stores.

Highly skilled immigrants are vital to Mississippi’s innovation industries, which in turn helps lead American innovation and creates jobs.Read more...

Anti-immigrant activists and politicians are fond of relying upon anecdotes to support their oft-repeated claim that immigrants, especially undocumented immigrants, are dangerous criminals. This mythical claim is usually based on rhetorical sleight of hand in which individual stories of heinous crimes committed by immigrants are presented as “proof” that we must restrict immigration or “get tough” on the undocumented in order to save the lives of U.S. citizens. While these kinds of arguments are emotionally powerful, they are intellectually dishonest. There is no doubt that dangerous criminals must be punished, and that immigrants who are dangerous criminals should not be allowed to enter the United States or should be deported if they already are here. But harsh immigration policies are not effective in fighting crime because—as numerous studies over the past 100 years have shown—immigrants are less likely to commit crimes or be behind bars than the native-born, and high rates of immigration are not associated with higher rates of crime. This holds true for both legal immigrants and the undocumented, regardless of their country of origin or level of education.

Crime Rates in the United States Fell as the Size of the Immigrant Population (Including the Unauthorized) Increased Dramatically.

Between 1990 and 2010, the foreign-born share of the U.S. population grew from 7.9 percent to 12. 9 percent {Figure 1} and the number of unauthorized immigrants tripled from 3.5 million to 11.2 million {Figure 2}.

In Louisiana, there is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators play an important role. Immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Highly skilled immigrants are vital to the state’s innovation industries and to the metropolitan areas within the state, helping to boost local economies. Furthermore, local government, business, and non-profit leaders recognize the importance of immigrants in their communities.

Immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to Louisiana’s economy.

From 2006 to 2010, there were 14,726 new immigrant business owners in Louisiana, and in 2010, 8.2 percent of all business owners in Louisiana were foreign-born.

In 2010, new immigrant business owners had total net business income of $691 million, which is 6.7 percent of all net business income in the state.

Highly skilled immigrants are vital to Louisiana’s innovation industries, which in turn helps lead American innovation and creates jobs.Read more...

In Oklahoma, there is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators play an important role. Immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Highly skilled immigrants are vital to the state’s innovation industries and to the metropolitan areas within the state, helping to boost local economies. Furthermore, local government, business, and non-profit leaders recognize the importance of immigrants in their communities and support immigration through local “welcoming” and integration initiatives.

Immigrant entrepreneurs contribute to Oklahoma’s economy.

From 2006 to 2010, there were 11,983 new immigrant business owners in Oklahoma, and in 2010, 7 percent of all business owners in Oklahoma were foreign-born.

In 2010, new immigrant business owners had total net business income of $477 million, which is 5.3 percent of all net business income in the state.

Highly skilled immigrants are vital to Oklahoma’s innovation industries, which in turn helps lead American innovation and creates jobs.Read more...

In Idaho, there is no doubt that immigrant entrepreneurs and innovators play an important role. Immigrant entrepreneurs bring in additional revenue, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Highly skilled immigrants are vital to the state’s innovation industries and to the metropolitan areas within the state, helping to boost local economies. Furthermore, local government, business, and non-profit leaders recognize the importance of immigrants in their communities and support immigration through local “welcoming” and integration initiatives.

Immigrant entrepreneurs contribute significantly to Idaho’s economy.

From 2006 to 2010, there were 4,051 new immigrant business owners in Idaho, and in 2010, 5 percent of all business owners in Idaho were foreign-born.

In 2010, new immigrant business owners had total net business income of $192 million, which is almost 5 percent of all net business income in the state.

Highly skilled immigrants are vital to Idaho’s innovation industries, which in turn helps lead American innovation and creates jobs.Read more...